Incubi
by brandysauce
Summary: incubus-noun-1 an evil spirit that violates sleeping women, 2 a nightmare, 3 a burden, oppression, Lat. in-into/onto, cubare-to lie down
1. Succubus

Okay, enough happy from me. Time for some nightmares. I like to write stuff like this, but I don't think I'm too good at it, so please tell me what you think and how I could improve. I'll begin with someone I think it will be agreed is richly deserving of a nightmare:

Power is a marvelous thing. It motivates, corrupts, exalts, and ruins. Power had infested Dong Zhuo's being, even coiling through his dreams. Powerful men should not sleep easily for fear of enemies, but Dong Zhuo, expert at making enemies as he was, slept deeply and well most nights. For his power had provided him means to mercilessly be sure his sleep was not disturbed. Through his hunger for power his conscience had long ago withered and gave no trouble at any time of the day or night. So Dong Zhuo was convinced when he settled into slumber and dreams:

His palace was perfection. It displayed power in every way: grandly and marvelously built, glittering with gold and precious jade. Everything was the result of his work, perfectly suited for his desires. Magnificently displayed was an ornate cage in which rested a huge golden-scaled serpent. The snake's unwinking white eyes followed Dong Zhuo's movements through the palace. When he approached the cage the snake's long forked tongue, colorless as the deadly hypnotic eyes, flicked out between the bars of the cage. Dong Zhuo moved back and glared at the serpent, bending it to his power. But the snake simply withdrew its tongue and stared, insolent and cold. Displeased, Dong Zhuo turned to examine his other treasures.

Ignoring the chill gaze of the snake at his back, he turned his attention on an alcove nearby. Through a transparent curtain covering the entrance showed the silhouette of a reclining woman. Dong Zhuo approached, eager to discover who was behind the curtain. He drew aside the curtain and found a beautiful lady in a robe of shimmering silk. She seemed to be sleeping; her eyes remained closed even when Dong Zhuo lightly touched her shoulder. When he stroked her hair she sat up and turned toward him, her eyes still peacefully closed. He pulled her to him, and she reached up and kissed him with a forked tongue. At that moment the woman's eyes opened and Dong Zhuo stared horror-stricken into blank white orbs that were cold and uncaring as shed snakeskin.

With the entrance of the snake lady's tongue into his mouth Dong Zhuo was filled with knowledge, terror, and guilt. Shrieks and curses of victims rang in his ears. Nausea with the knowledge of what he had done to countless humans rose in him. Bitter venom was welling in his mouth; he tried to push the snake lady away but she held him tightly. Her tongue slid down his throat, writhing as it went. Venom blurred his vision until he saw all those whom he had tortured, betrayed, or killed. A steady chant of damnation thundered in accompaniment to physical knowledge of what pain he had inflicted coursed through him. Mutilated people bearing rusty blades swarmed upon him to hack at his nose and ears. A man with a grim expression who sat in a cauldron pulled Dong Zhuo headfirst into the cauldron. Boiling water brought unbearably painful senses to Dong Zhuo. He felt the displeasure of Human, Earth, and Heaven. Choking on the hideous tongue that roiled in him, Dong Zhuo struggled, tried to cry repentance, and slowly surrendered. No remorse, no struggle, simply fate and a long, heavy tongue dragging him down through bitter, poisoned depths. Cold, dark depths in which gory shades swam, in which he became a gory shade, and then- he surfaced, awake.

Unsettled by such a dream Dong Zhuo called for heated wine. He assured himself of the reality of his fine surroundings (utterly snakeless) and drank to forget: because ignorance is bliss.

I suck at endings. Sorry. Thanks for reading.


	2. Hostiae

Of course I produced another chapter.  You didn't really think I'd stop at one, did you?  Great gratitude for reviews; you know how much I love those.  And pray ye note that that chapter title of the first chapter is now 'Succubus.'  In addition, the story title is now 'Incubi.'  Me, leave the Latin incorrect?  Never (I hope).  Wishes for you to enjoy the following:

            Sleep was no friend to Cao Cao; he was far too important.  One in his position ought never to relax his guard or cease struggling to maintain and elevate what he has established merely to give over to things light as dreams.  But he must, unhappy as his sleep may be.

            Long after dark sleep stole most cautiously upon Cao Cao.  Slowly his wariness would relax; the necessity for rest would overcome him, though drowsiness would several times retreat before finally laying claim.  And then began a slow descent through Cao Cao's mind to where it was discovered that dreams are not so light:

            Being presented to a magnificent banquet hall, he was seated as a guest of honor.  Though lamps shone warmly on the full hall he could distinguish clearly neither hosts nor other guests.  Silently, wine was given, presented in an elegantly plain cup.  With the first sip all warmth and shadows went out of the room, stark knowledge remaining.  In the host's place sat an old man with hollow cheeks and a long beard gray as the mists in mountain ravines, his eyes peacefully closed.  The other guests were familiar to Cao Cao.  He saw courtiers, relatives, the man he had ordered beaten to death during his governorship, the uncle he had mistakenly slain, and people he vaguely recognized as villagers and soldiers.  Without shadows, heat, or emotion he knew each of these people and how he had undone them.  _I am at a feast of my victims,_ he thought.  _Yet, I can justify the death or punishment of each.  Could it be..?_  "Yes, you are your own victim." a deep voice said.

            Cao Cao looked to the speaker, the old man, who turned dark, bottomless eyes upon him, eyes that could see anything.  "You can justify the treatment of each guest, but does that make them any less your victims?" the old man continued.  "And how do you justify yourself?  You have presumed power, you have committed crimes against the emperor, you have gone to war.  And all this you have done yourself, to yourself.  Are you not your own victim?"

            Cao Cao shook, overcome with realization and hypnotized by the infinity of his host's eyes.  At length, the old man lowered his eyelids and Cao Cao turned to look awestruck at the other guests.  As he gazed down the length of the table he saw diagonally opposite from him Liu Bei, escorted by his brothers, offering something.  Liu Bei held a green plum before him in cupped hands, his arms not fully outstretched.  Cao Cao reached for the plum which he knew would rescue this hopeless dream, but the distance was too far.  Liu Bei looked steadily, almost pityingly at him, but would not fully extend his long arms.  Desperate certainty fell upon Cao Cao and he stretched to reach the fruit, yet he could not and Liu Bei would not move.  A rustle distracted Cao Cao from his goal; he turned quickly to see a soldier holding a fearsome axe poised to swing.  Cao Cao leapt- - from his dream to consciousness.

            Looking about anxiously, he found only his wife, who was carefully moving a scroll that had been about to fall from a table.  Frowning to himself, he got up to work on his plans for harmonious unity under Emperor Cao Mengde.

That didn't go entirely to plan, but my plan was really vague anyway.  If anybody's still reading, muchas gracias.


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